China's coal consumption falls for first time this century

China’s use of coal fell in the first half of this year, for the first time this century. However, the gross domestic product continued to grow, signaling the “war on pollution” is taking its toll.

According to analysis
produced by Lauri Myllyvirta and Greenpeace
International,
China's coal use dropped in the first half of 2014, along with
slowing growth in imports and declining domestic
production.

While coal imports grew a mere 0.9 percent this year compared to
double-digit growth in previous years, domestic coal production
declined by 1.8 percent.

Coal prices are low in China and the China National Coal
Association is calling for further cut in domestic coal output by
10 percent in the main producing provinces.

The historic decline comes after the country's coal consumption
doubled in the past decade in line with the country's
unprecedented economic growth.

Due to the increased use of coal, China has become a major
polluter, causing more than half of the global carbon emission
growth over the same period. The country is facing an air
pollution crisis.

In January, Beijing recorded air pollution twenty times over the
limit considered damaging to health by the World Health
Organization (WHO), the International Business Times says. The
pollution is primarily caused by an increase in the number of
manufacturing companies and record vehicle sales in the country
in line with improving living standards.